DEAR DR. FOX: Except for rabies, may I opt out of annual shots for my dogs, and any other suggested vaccines at vet offices? -- L.A., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR L.A.: You are raising an issue that is politically controversial in the human health care sphere -- so much so, that members of the Kennedy family have spoken out against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his information on childrenshealthdefense.org. His views and concerns about the plethora of vaccines given to children, and what they contain, are backed by sound science and reason. They parallel many of mine when it comes to vaccinating companion animals. But neither he nor I are totally opposed to the cautious and appropriate use of safe and effective vaccines.

Too many veterinarians still advocate annual booster vaccinations, and some boarding and grooming facilities will refuse animals who are not “up to date” on their shots. This is analogous to schools forcing parents to have their children vaccinated regardless of pre-existing vaccination status, and barring them from school otherwise. Problems arise when irresponsible parents send sick children to overcrowded, poorly ventilated schoolrooms. Relying on vaccinations for so called “herd health” in humans is a poor substitute for personal hygiene, public health education, sanitation, good nutrition and healthful lifestyles.

If your dog has had prior basic “core” vaccinations, revaccination may not be needed. A blood test called a titer can be done to determine the status of immunity. Your dog may well need no other vaccinations aside from the mandatory (and questionable) three-year-duration anti-rabies vaccine. My website (drfoxonehealth.com) provides the basic vaccination protocol for dogs and cats, and a critical review article on the subject entitled “Animal Vaccination Concerns.”

I have been receiving more letters over recent years from people whose dogs have severe allergies and who are spending a small fortune on medications, many of which have harmful side-effects. One significant contributing factor may be repeated vaccinations. And some of the ingredients in current pet vaccinations are also present in vaccines given to children, who are showing a rising incidence of food allergies.

I implore doctors, veterinarians and other health care providers to read about this issue at: childrenshealthdefense.org/news/no-enigma-vaccines-and-the-food-allergy-epidemic/

DEAR DR. FOX: I have written to you before about renal support for my dog, who was suffering from kidney failure. Thank you for your advice, which was very helpful. He was much happier and, I think, healthier with a good diet instead of his old prescription dog food. Sadly, he died recently -- not from everything he was being treated for, but from a likely brain tumor.

A couple of months ago, he’d started having seizures, and within just a few days, it was obvious this was not a temporary condition. We had to put him down. I was able to hold him and comfort him during the procedure, and although he was pretty much out of it by that time, I think he knew he was in his favorite place: daddy’s lap.

One of our sons passed away from a heart attack at the same time we had to put Skeeter down, so it was doubly hard. I’m actually writing to you today about his dog: He and his fiancee had/have a rescue mix, about 35 pounds. His fur is not really short like a shepherd’s, and not long like a retriever’s, but in between, and he sheds something awful.

His fiancee has lint removers all over the house to remove dog hair from clothes, furniture, just about everything. He’s very active and friendly, so anyone who interacts with him ends up with hair on their clothes. She brushes and vacuums him regularly, but he still sheds a lot. I don’t see any skin conditions or fleas; he doesn’t scratch a lot, and his fur is clean and soft.

I know short-haired dogs stay clean by shedding, but I checked online for information about excessive shedding and found a lot of products, both oral and topical, that purport to control this problem. Do you have any advice about controlling shedding? -- J.S., Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

DEAR J.S.: I am so sorry to hear about the double loss of loved ones in your family. But I am glad that my help regarding nutrition for your kidney-compromised dog proved beneficial and improved your dog’s quality of life.

Shedding’s causes can be hormonal, environmental, genetic and nutritional. Stress, such as separation anxiety, can increase shedding. But most often, it is because of poor-quality dog food. It is amazing that so many dogs survive on a diet of dry kibble, which too many veterinarians sell in their clinics, only to turn around and treat dogs and cats for various health problems caused by such a diet! Anyone in doubt of this fact can check the book that I co-authored with two other veterinarians, “Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat and Dog Foods.”

Regrettably, many new veterinary graduates know better, but are still obliged to sell such biologically inappropriate and harmful pet foods in order to generate income for their pet practices and pay off exorbitant student loans. At least some more progressive practices are now supporting local community members starting up their own pet food initiatives, and linking with veterinary-directed special diet recipes at secure.balanceit.com.

For the dog in question, I would recommend my home-prepared diet (on my website: drfoxonehealth.com) as at least half his daily meals. And be sure to give a few drops of fish oil and a half-teaspoon of brewer’s yeast in his food daily.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: I live in Minnesota, where many serious environmental issues remain unresolved. These include the conflicts between industrial farming, water quality and climate change, and the protection of wolves from being “harvested” as a resource for trophy-hunters and trappers.

So I was pleasantly surprised last month to learn that a bill has been introduced to the state legislature to encourage residents to convert their lawns from grass to wild, indigenous flowering plants, which would help save the bees and other pollinators. The proposal would allot $2 million to subsidize 75 percent of the cost of these conversions. Funding the “Lawns to Legumes” program will increase the number of residential lawns with native vegetation and pollinator-friendly forbs and legumes.

I am confident that this legislation will pass, and that funding will be secured. It should be adopted by all states, especially targeting the absurd, irrigated lawns in California and the Southwest.

Also, Gov. Tim Walz’s Executive Order to Restore Healthy, Diverse Pollinator Populations became effective on April 19, directing several state agencies to promote “healthy and diverse pollinator populations that sustain and enhance Minnesota’s environment, economy and way of life.” This order comes at an important time, as pollinator populations are seeing critical declines. It will also help improve air and water quality, reduce chemical and noise pollution, and save energy!

I have long railed against lawns -- private ones, corporate ones, public ones along parkways and especially golf courses -- in this column, informing readers that many lawn chemicals are known to cause cancer in dogs as well as people. No offense to Tiger Woods and his industry, but golf courses, like lawns, are abominations when they widely and routinely apply chemicals, especially Roundup (glyphosate). These run off into surface waters and groundwaters, which we eventually drink, and also come down in rainwater far away.

Pesticides and chemical fertilizers should be prohibited, and a percentage of every golf course should be dedicated as a wildlife habitat.

DEAR DR. FOX: I’m just wondering, is it OK if I give my dog chicken bones? Some say it’s not good, and others say it doesn’t matter. -- B.D., Trenton, New Jersey

DEAR B.D.: The short answer is “no!”

The more detailed answer: Ground chicken bones (not from spent laying hens) are a good nutritional additive to a balanced diet. But raw and cooked chicken bones alike can splinter and cause internal damage.

The only safe bones to give a dog are raw beef soup bones (shank bones). Allow only a few minutes of chewing, and monitor closely, since some dogs can crack a tooth on them. This is also a problem with other very hard “chewable” items, like the popular deer and elk antler pieces. Other chews, from various animal parts -- from pigs’ ears, snouts and feet to bull penises -- can carry harmful bacteria.

Safer chews to keep teeth clean and gums healthy are rawhide strips and rolls, ideally U.S.-manufactured. Avoid knotted ones, since the knots may be chewed off and swallowed, causing choking or intestinal blockage. Raw chicken wing tips that are mainly cartilage can be fed with the skin after sterilizing in boiling water to get rid of bacterial contamination, a common problem with chicken from factory farms.

Turkey and pork bones, cooked or raw, should not be fed to dogs.

BEE SONG HELPS POLLINATION

Denise Ellsworth, an entomologist at Ohio State University, says bumblebees and some other wild bees do something honeybees don’t do: buzz pollination.

Bumblebees “can unhinge their wings from their wing muscles and vibrate their bodies,” Ellsworth says. This not only makes a buzzing sound in the tone of middle C, but also “causes the flower to explosively release pollen.”

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: The natural diversity of animals (including insects), plants and microorganisms that are native to a particular place -- its ecosystem -- help maintain environmental health and sustainability, as well as the food web.

Such communities help prevent the spread of harmful and invasive species. These controls break down when various human activities, especially industrial farming, aquaculture and agroforestry, reduce biodiversity. Invasive weeds, pests and diseases take hold. Rather than change practices and adopt organic, ecologically sound systems of production, the treadmill of reliance on pesticides and various drugs becomes the accepted norm. The rising incidence of cancer in children and dogs is no coincidence.

We must all be vigilant and practice good personal and public hygiene; humane, responsible animal care; thorough wildlife protection; and robust environmental stewardship. And we must avert the need for chemical agents. This is because, as with antibiotics and fungicides, insecticides kill many harmless species that help control the proliferation of other potentially harmful species through competitive exclusion. Such loss of biodiversity helps create terrible “superbugs” -- the drug-resistant bacteria and fungi now resident in many hospitals -- and herbicide-resistant “superweeds” and resistant populations of mosquitoes and internal parasites around the world.

The rising incidence of tick-borne diseases in the Americas is not attributable to climate change alone. There are many factors, including human and livestock encroachment, habitat change, and the hunting, trapping and poisoning of natural predators -- even using cyanide guns to kill coyotes. A paucity of foxes, and other eaters of small rodents that are reservoirs of disease, and a similar lack of insectivorous birds and reptiles that consume the ticks that transmit these diseases to humans, make the outdoors unsafe. So more pesticides are used, and the cycle continues.

Additional problems are created by the importation of plant and animal produce and animal feed from abroad. This calls for heightened biosecurity and the discouragement of, if not legislation against, the ownership, propagation and deliberate or accidental release of “exotic” animals and plant varieties.

Optimal biodiversity is the keystone of One Health -- encompassing animals, plants, the environment and humans. The contribution of biodiversity to One Health includes clean air, pure water, productive soils, ecosystem resilience and food safety and security. These then lead to greater climatic, economic and social stability -- provided that human greed is effectively restrained.

For detailed documentation of the degradation of global ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, see the 2019 United Nations’ IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services at ipbes.net/assessment-reports/eca. The report finds that around 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades -- more than ever before in human history. It is a clarion call to all of us, and to our governments in particular.

DEAR DR. FOX: I read your regular column in our local newspaper, and have a question about the use of tramadol for dogs.

My goldendoodle had some surgery yesterday, and the veterinarian has put her on 50 milligrams of tramadol once every 12 hours for pain. Is this the suggested dosage? Are there any negative side effects that I should be aware of? -- S.M., Medford, Oregon

DEAR S.M.: Your veterinarian has not kept up with the professional literature on tramadol. It has recently been shown to be an ineffective analgesic for dogs (and also for rabbits). I have long questioned its use for dogs, since it can cause anxiety and palpitations in some dogs. Cannabidiol (CBD) would be a superior alternative for analgesia, and is also an anti-inflammatory.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am having an ongoing debate with my husband about cleaning out the cat box. We have two cats, and they use the same box. I say we should clean it out twice a day, and he says once is fine. What do you say? -- G.L., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR G.L.: I would clean the litter box four times a day for two cats, or add another box and clean both twice daily, if equally used. Always wash your hands after scooping, raking and adding fresh litter. Empty the entire contents and replace with fresh litter every week or two.

Also: If you are pregnant, your husband should be the litter box cleaner for health reasons. For more litter box insights, check my website: drfoxonehealth.com.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)